Specimen conveyance apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a specimen conveyance apparatus including: a main body having a plate-like shape and including a storage chamber having a recess-like shape formed thereon; a cover member covering the main body; a sealing member inserted between the main body and the cover member and blocking the storage chamber and the outside; a suction pipe installed within the main body, having a suction valve, and sucking external air; a filter installed within the main body, removing a reactive gas and particulate foreign material from air sucked through the suction pipe, and allowing an inert gas to pass therethrough toward the storage chamber; a discharge pipe installed within the main body, having a discharge valve, and discharging a gas to the outside; and a pump discharging a gas present in the storage chamber to the outside through the discharge pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A specimen conveyance apparatus comprising:
 a main body having a plate-like shape and including a storage chamber having a recess-like shape formed thereon;   a cover member covering the main body;   a sealing member inserted between the main body and the cover member and blocking the storage chamber and the outside;   a suction pipe installed within the main body, having a suction valve, and sucking external air;   a filter installed within the main body, removing a reactive gas and particulate foreign material from air sucked through the suction pipe, and allowing an inert gas to pass therethrough toward the storage chamber;   a discharge pipe installed within the main body, having a discharge valve, and discharging a gas to the outside; and   a pump discharging a gas present in the storage chamber to the outside through the discharge pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the filter is a composite filter filtering oxygen, moisture, and hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         3 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the filter is formed by combining a plurality of sub-filters each filtering oxygen, moisture, and hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         4 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is an elastic O-ring. 
     
     
         5 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the suction valve is a solenoid valve. 
     
     
         6 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the storage chamber is divided into a plurality of section chambers, and further includes:
 a distribution pipe distributing a gas supplied from the filter into the plurality of section chambers; and   an exhaust pipe providing a gas from the section chambers to the pump.   
     
     
         7 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the distribution pipe includes:
 a main distribution pipe connected to the filter and receiving air from the filter; and   a branch distribution pipe branched from the main distribution pipe, including a distribution valve, and connected to the storage chamber to supply a gas supplied from the main distribution pipe to a corresponding section chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the branch distribution pipe supplies a gas to several section chambers. 
     
     
         9 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the exhaust pipe includes:
 a main exhaust pipe connected to the pump and supplying an exhaust gas to the pump; and   a branch exhaust pipe installed between the section chamber and the main exhaust pipe, including a branch valve, and supplying an exhaust gas discharged from the section chamber to the main exhaust pipe.   
     
     
         10 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the pump is a diaphragm pump. 
     
     
         11 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a power source unit receiving power from the outside and supplying the received power to the pump. 
     
     
         12 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a battery installed within the main body and supplying power to the pump. 
     
     
         13 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a locking member locking the main body and the cover member. 
     
     
         14 . The specimen conveyance apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a controller driving or stopping the pump according to a user's manipulation of a key manipulation unit, and turning on or off the suction valve and the discharge valve.